At the phone he called up the Wisconsin Hotel, asking for the clerk. When that rather important individual was on the wire Maynard asked: “Was there a young man there within the hour asking to leave a package in the safe until morning?” “No,” came the short reply. Maynard gave a brief description of his friend’s personal appearance, and asked: “Was such a person there for any purpose?” “Yes,” was the reply. “Did he make his business known?” “He immediately went to one of the rooms in response to a call left at the desk for him,” was the answer. Maynard experienced a feeling of relief, but only for a moment. “Is he there still?” he then asked. “He came down almost immediately, and went away,” was the reply. Maynard hung up the receiver, his face white and drawn. There was still much information to be asked at the hotel, but not by phone. “Something has happened,” he thought. “Townsend may be dead, for all I know. It was a horrible mistake to permit him to go away alone with the diamonds. Why should he go to a room at the Wisconsin and leave immediately? Why should he keep me here in suspense when he understood how anxious I was as to the result of his mission? I can never solve the problem alone. I wonder if it is possible to reach Mr. Carter to-night? I wonder if he will come?” The excited young man called the detective’s private number and waited with wildly beating heart. Presently a response came over the wire. “Is Mr. Carter there?” he asked. “Talking,” was the reply, much to Maynard’s relief. In a few words Maynard explained the exact situation. “I may be unnecessarily alarmed,” he said, “but I feel that something ought to be done at once. Can you come?” “Immediately,” was the prompt response, and Maynard hung up the receiver to walk and worry until the detective laid a hand on his shoulder. CHAPTER X. A FATAL ERRAND. “Now tell me about it,” said Nick, as soon as they had gained the seclusion of a private room. Maynard told the story of the night, not sparing himself in the least. The detective looked very grave. “Is it serious?” asked the young man. “I am afraid so,” was the reply, “but hope for the best. We can do nothing here, so we may as well go to the Wisconsin at once.” While Maynard was cheered by the presence of the great detective, he realized that Nick’s willingness to respond to his call meant that the detective feared more than the loss of the diamonds. He would hardly have left his bed at that hour simply for the purpose of recovering diamonds which had been carelessly lost track of. Arrived at the hotel, the detective made himself known to the clerk, that being the surest way of securing the attention he required. The clerk was at once all smiles, ready to answer all questions, to do anything in his power to accommodate the famous detective, whose appearance at the hotel was forever afterward spoken of as a notable event.